Thomas h



T. H. DODGE.

Signal Light. I

No; 8,822. Patented March 23,1852.

N. PEYERS, Phom-Linw n hu. Wznhingtom D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT THOMAS H. DODGE, OF NASHUA, NEWV HAMPSHIRE.

MARINE SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,822, dated March 23, 1852.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TrromAs H Donen, ofNashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, haveinvented, cer- 1 tain new and useful Improvements in Night.-

Signals to be Used on Steam and Sailing Ships and other Vessels; and Ido hereby declare that the-following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- 7 Figure 1 is afront view ofone of my improved signals. Fig. 2 is a vertical sect-ionof the same taken through the center at right angles to its face. Fig. 3is a vertical section of the same in a plane parallel to its face, andFig. t is a plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of theseveral figures.

This invention consists in the employment of two lights of differentcolors, applied in the same diametrical line, to a revolvmgverticaldisk, which is surrounded by a station ary ring upon which the points ofthe compass are graduated; by turning the disk, to bring the lights insuch a position, that an imaginary line drawn through them, willintersect that point of the compass upon the ring, corresponding to theactual point in l which the vessel is heading, the color of the lightwhich is the pointer, being known, a vessels course will be visible atnight, to the crews of other vessels, and collision may be thereby withcertainty prevented.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to clescribe its construction and operation.

The revolving disk A, forms the head of a cylinder or drum B, which hasa hollow axle C, which fits on a stationary axle D,

secured in any convenient place in the vessel .so as to make the diskface the head. The axle D, is here represented as secured 1n a rail E,attached to the back of a board F, which may be supposed to representpart of the wheel house of a steam vessel, or any part of a vessel. Therevolving disk A, has two circular holes a, and Z), of equal size,

, diametrically opposite each other one of which is furnished with awhite or colorless,

1 and the other with a red glass. Behind the alwaysopposite the glasses:a and I), whatever may be the position ofthe drum and they always hangvertically. The disk is hinged to the drum and capable of opening fortrimmingand adjusting the lamps, and is secured when closed byfastenings e, e.

The ring G, which has the points of the compass graudated upon, itnorthbeing placed atmthe topforms part of a cylindrical casing or frame H,which surrounds the drum B, and is secured to the board F. Both the drumB, and the cylindrical casing H, are perforated with holes --f, f aroundtheir periphery to admit air to the lights; those holes inH, beingcovered by strips of metal 9, g, to protect them against the entrance ofwater.

At the back of the board F, there is secured to the hollow axle C, aband wheel I, and another band wheel J, is fitted on a stationary axis71., at the top of a standard K, behind the board. The two band wheelsare of equal diameter and their peripheries are connected by bands 2',2', which are conducted around guide rollers j, 7', when J, is movedupon its axis, it causes I, to move the same distance. The top of J,forms a table which is graduated as a compass; and there is a stationarypointer k, attached to the back of the board F, whose point reaches overthe edge of the said table. The position of the two wheels bear suchrelation to each other that when any particular point of the compass onthe wheel J, is opposite the stationary pointer 72, the white orcolorless light points to the corresponding point on the compass whichsurrounds the revolving disk. The object of the wheel J, is to set thelights, from the deck, in the proper position to indicate the vesselscourse, when they (the lights) are at an elevation above the deck.

The operation of the signal is conducted in the following manner. Whenit is put in operation, and everytime the vessels course is changed, thewheel J, is turned to bring the point on its table, which corresponds tothe point in which the vessel heads, to the pointer is, this brings thewhite or colorless light a, opposite the corresponding point on the ringG. In Fig. 4, the

pointer is, indicates north, and in Fig. 1, the

white light is shown above the red or pointing to the north, thls wouldshow the vessel to be on a northward course. When the disk is turned tobring the red light to the right, and the white to the left, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the white points west, and showsthe vessel to be on a westward course. It being always understood thatthe white light is the pointer, any person familiar with. the positionof the points 7 of the compass, will be able to distinguish, thoughnothing but the light may be visible,

assistance of other vessels were required the white light might be keptmoving a short distance from side to side above the red light; and in asailing vessel, it might be moved in the same manner below it. Suchsistance. might be made to answerfor many purposes.

a signal could not fail to attract notice at a considerable distance. Asa signal of distress, in a steam vessel the white light might be keptmoving back and forth in a semicircle above the red; and in a sailingvessel below the red. It would by these means be known what vessel itwas, that required as- The signal by various movements What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The employmentfor signaling or indicating the course of a vessel, of twolights of different colors, attached to or hung in a cylinder or disk,which is capable ofrevolving on a fixed axis so asto change the positionof the lights; the position of either light relatively to the otherbeing made to point the course, in any manner substantially asdescribed.

THOMAS H. DODGE.

Witnesses:

A. G. REED, GEO. Y. SAWYER.

